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A panel and performance by legendary Creole Wild West Indian tribe.

Enjoy this close up. I happened to be at this event and this short video captures the highlights very well.

This is the second in a series of “finished” video pieces.

The first was about the birth of a new parade, the St. Claude Easter Parade sponsored by the Goodchildren Carnival Club.

http://foodmusicjustice.com/2008/04/29/easter-parade-new-orleans/

This one features Carol Kolinchak, an attorney who has successfully fought official New Orleans on behalf of Indian tribes and Second Line parades. It was filmed at this year’s Super Sunday.

Enjoy!

New Orleans is a tale of two cities.

If you live on the rim of the bowl - Uptown, the Garden District, the French Quarter, and a few other lucky spots - life is pretty good.

In fact, during the winter months through about now, I’d be hard pressed to find a more pleasant place on earth.

But if you live in the neighborhoods devastated by the levee collapses, it’s a very different story indeed…

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Between wind damage and the long term soaking they suffered as the result of the Army Corps of Engineers levee failures, New Orleans’ trees took a tremendous hit in 2005.

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THE MARDI GRAS INDIAN COUNCIL PRESENTS

INDIAN SUNDAY PARADE

Sunday, March 16, 2008 – 1 p.m.

Start: Washington Avenue and LaSalle Street. Down LaSalle to Martin Luther King Blvd. Left on MLK to Galvez. Left on Galvez to Washington Ave. Left on Washington to South Derbigny.

End: Taylor Park, Washington and Galvez

Info courtesy of the Backstreet Museum

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More…on legal observation campaign

Good afternoon all,

Just wondering if anyone wanted to volunteer for the ACLU’s legal observing effort for the Uptown Mardi Gras Indian Super Sunday this Sunday the 16th. Although no longer working for the ACLU, I’m volunteering to help coordinate the effort on Sunday.

If you can, please let me know and send me your name, cellphone number, and availability.

Volunteers will meet at 12:30pm on the corner of Washington and LaSalle on the park side of the street for a brief training. Super Sunday lasts generally till 6:30pm or so. We’d love it if you could stay all day but folks that can help even just for a few hours are welcome.

Thanks in advance for any help. Forward this to anyone who might be interested….

Tory Pegram
504.338.2631

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Why the Indians need defending. The over-the-top campaign of police harassment and brutality took place just three short years ago.

Click here for the article St. Joseph Turns Blue

Another great article on the current New Orleans music and culture scene from Larry Blumenfeld.

This one about Donald Harrison Jr. and Mardi Gras “Indian” culture appeared recently in the Village Voice. (more…)

What’s the line from that movie?

“Just when you’re out of it, they pull you back in?”

OK. This really is my last post for a while, but this news is too big not to share. (more…)

TOOTIE’S LAST SUIT is a film about Allison “Tootie” Montana, former Chief of Yellow Pocahontas Hunters, and is showing this weekend at the Tribeca Film Festival in New York City.

Montana masked Indian for 52 years, longer than any other Mardi Gras Indian.

Tootie’s was not only respected as a peerless artist and cultural leader, but also as a peacemaker who helped move the New Orleans Mardi Grass Indian tradition away from physical violence to artistic accomplishment and competition.

More about the film: Tootie’s Last Suit